


Unova: New Beginnings

by electr1cFantasy



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Isshu-chihou | Unova Region (Pokemon)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:07:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28608783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/electr1cFantasy/pseuds/electr1cFantasy
Summary: Set 25 years after the events of Pokémon Black 2 & White 2, a new generation of trainers is chosen to take on the Unova League and do field work for Professor Juniper. Their pokémon journey begins, as they'll win their way through all 8 gyms, and deal with a new evil team that has its roots planted deep the heart of Unova!





	1. The Next Generation

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote the first few chapters of this story in early 2020. School and life got in the way of continuing, as well as a waning interest - but I hope to continue this eventually, especially now that I've gotten back into pokémon content!

It's a new day.

The leaves are starting to fall off the trees, after turning the most beautiful shades of red and orange.

I love autumn. It's a season of change, when old things die out and new ones rise, and where the winds of fate blow us every which way.

It also happens to be when the Pokémon League's holiday season takes place, where all the gym leaders get to take a break and return to their families. To most, that means their journey to get all 8 badges is postponed by a few weeks. To me, that means I get to see my older brother.

Colt is the leader of Driftveil City's gym. It used to be led by our grandfather, Clay, but he got too old to keep on battling. Said it hurt his back. So he trained my brother in the ways of gym battles, and taught him all the strategies he knew. Driftveil's mining company needed to stay open, though, so the old gym was shut down and repurposed. They built a new one high up on the hill, surrounded by a whole slew of new buildings. Driftveil City became home to Unova's new Steel type gym leader: Colt, holder of the Bastion Badge.

I don't get to see him often, ever since my mother and I moved away. We wanted to stay, but she was offered a job working at a Pokémon nursery in Castelia City that she just couldn't refuse. She found us a modest apartment downtown on the top floor of a building, where we've been living for nearly the past six years.

Thankfully, we live near the edge, so I can see the glimmering waters of the bay down south. It's so filled with life and rife with happy pokémon, so it's a sight I don't think I'll ever get tired of. I still miss standing atop the Charizard Bridge, looking out upon the river, watching the water change color as the sun rose high into the sky. I used to spend my summers going north along Route 6 and exploring the deep caves, finding shiny stones and bringing them home. Here, it's quite the view, but it's always just out of reach.

The world out there is so beautiful… I just wish I could get out there and see it someday.

  


I hear a knock on my door, and I'm suddenly pulled right back into reality. How long have I been sitting here, even? Minutes? Hours? Days? Years?

...Probably the first one.

"Ah, coming!" I jump out of my chair and scramble to the door, yanking it open.

Blissey waves at me cheerfully. Mom must've sent her to come get me.

"What's up? Is Colt here?" I scratch my head.

Blissey nods.

"Oh, awesome!" I dart out of my room and past Blissey, speeding down the hallway. "Sorry for running!" I make it to our living room just in time to see my mom on the phone.

"Where is he?" I say, hunched over and out of breath.

"...Yeah. Mhm! Yes, we'll be right over!" Mom taps her phone, and puts it away. "He's arriving at the airport now!"

I sigh, still catching my breath. "...Hoo. Okay. Are we gonna… go pick him up?"

She nods, then calls out to the other room, "Blissey, watch the house for us, please! We'll be back in a little while!" Her call is met by Blissey's emphatic agreement.

I get my shoes and my jacket, and we head out into the hallway. Taking the elevator to the ground floor, we embark on the city streets, headed toward the airport. As we do so, I get a buzz in my pocket.

COLT: hey dawg i got u sumthin

COLT: its really cool, promise

COLT: but dont tell mom

I smile and put my phone away, wondering what surprise he might have in store.

We got to the airport nearly half an hour later, and with sore legs. Despite my protesting and frequent requests to use literally any other mode of transportation, we managed to walk all the way there.

"There he is!" Mom exclaims, pointing at the crowd.

Sure enough, there's Colt, waving his arms off. Next to him is his partner pokémon, Aggron, who is also waving vigorously.

We approach the two knuckleheads, and I give Colt a tight bear hug. "It's been so long, bro!" He hugs me back even harder, never one to lose in a contest of affection. He lets go after thoroughly collapsing my spine, and I try to laugh it off.

The four of us walk home together, arriving nearly an hour later - nearly half of which was spent trying to stop Aggron from using Iron Head on an inflatable balloon that it thought was a real pokémon. Mom and I take the elevator, and wait at the top for Colt and Aggron to climb the stairs.

We enter the apartment and are met with hugs from Blissey, most of all Colt - his hug lasted a full five minutes. This is pretty par for the course; being the Happiness Pokémon, Blissey sure loves happy reunions. Finally letting him go, she sets her sights on Aggron. The metallic beast flees deeper into the apartment, and Blissey gives chase. They both vanish from sight, and we all laugh.

Taking seats around the room, we finally relax and start up a conversation. Colt is as talkative as ever, but he seems distracted.

"'So, uh… I have something I wanna show you." He fumbles with his bag, sounding unusually serious. Pulling out a letter, he unfolds it and reads it aloud. "From the office of Professor Aurea Juniper. Dear Colt, I hope this year is treating you well. I know your gym may not have seen as many trainers as it usually does due to issues with Nimbasa City's new gym in the recent months, but I expect that you will get many new challengers once we get that all sorted out. Anyway, I am contacting you to let you know of a new initiative that we're trying, starting in the winter when the League resumes. I have asked each gym leader to choose one individual that they believe is deserving and able to take on the League. That individual will be given a pokémon to start their journey with, as well as state-of-the-art equipment with which to capture and catalog this region's pokémon.' Blah, blah, legal stuff… 'I understand that this is an important choice, so you will be given the entirety of the autumn break to make your choice. I hope to hear from you soon, Prof. Juniper.'"  
He looks at me, his face lit up with excitement.

I look back at him, my face filled with confusion. "...What?"

"I'm choosing you, doofus! You're gonna get a pokémon and a pokédex, and you'll get to take on the League and do work for the professor!"

My eyes widen. "F-for real?"

He nods, grinning ear to ear.

"So… When do I start?"

  


I nervously knock on the door, standing outside in the snow.

A few moments later, the Professor appears. "Ah, Cleo! Come on in!"

I smile sheepishly and enter, and she shuts the door behind me.

"You're just in time! All the other trainers are here, except for one. Adam couldn't make it, unfortunately. But go on ahead, they're in my lab! I've just got to go get prepared quickly."

I do as she says, entering her lab. There's huge machines everywhere, as well as walls of bookshelves and little models of pokémon. Sure enough, there's 6 other kids around my age in the room already.

There's a young man standing in the corner, examining a scale model of the Nacrene City Dragonite skeleton. He's wearing a blank white dress shirt, sharp black pants, and dark gray suspenders. He's facing away from the rest of the room, and is making very little noise.

Sitting at a round table are another young man and a young woman. Both are wearing goggles loosely around their heads and dressed in blue, and they're eyeing each other with what seems to be incredible contempt. The boy is wearing a crystal blue swim shirt, loose gray swim trunks with leggings underneath, and a thick winter coat. The girl is wearing a puffy sky-blue jacket, a warm knitted sweater, and blue camo pants.

Leaning against the wall is a young woman wearing an elegant black dress. She's reading a book that she plucked right off the professor's shelf, and it looks like she's pretty invested. She has a small holy talisman around her neck, and her hair is very well styled.

Standing near one of the larger machines is a boy - seemingly the youngest of the group. He has a notepad out and is taking notes on its design, scribbling them down rather quickly. He's got a simple school uniform on, even complete with a backpack.

At the edge of the room, in the shadow of a machine, is one final young woman, who seems a few years older than the rest of us. She's got a large leather jacket on, and her hair is a solid pink. Watching the rest of the room with a bit of disdain, she's... looking straight at me. I'm a little creeped out.

I stand next to the boy taking notes, as he seems like a rather friendly fellow. Indeed he is, because as soon as I do so he turns to me and extends his hand.

"Hey! You must be Cleo, right? I'm Jake!" He smiles.

I shake his hand, smiling back. "Yeah, that's right. Professor must've called me out for being late, huh?"

He nods, laughing a little. "Yeah, it was kinda weird. She was really worried, even though you're only a few minutes late."

"Huh. Guess this is a pretty big deal, she wouldn't want any kids missing."

"...Except for Adam."

I shrug. "...Except for Adam."

"So, which gym leader recommended you? I'm Cheren's star student, so he thought I could use the experience!" He looks proud.

"Oh, uh… Colt is my brother. He thought it was time for me to start my journey, just like he did before he was given the gym."

"Wow, cool!" Jake smiles. "Can't wait to see what pokémon we get!"

"Yeah, I just hope it's something I can handle."

Professor Juniper enters the room, carrying a large metal box. She sets it down on the round table, and presses buttons on each side to make it open. Inside are eight pokeballs, arranged in a neat circle. Each one has our name next to it.

"It's time, come on over! Everyone meet your starter pokémon!" She says excitedly, beckoning everyone to the table.

We all grab our pokeballs, leaving one behind. She shuts the box and asks us to line up and release our pokémon one by one, starting from the right.

"Cass, open up your ball!" She calls out.

The girl in the dress opens her pokeball. Inside is a small blue and black pokémon with fur over its eyes.

"A Deino? Huh…" She remarks, looking confused.

"Niko, open up your ball!" The professor shouts.

The well-dressed young man opens his pokéball, and out pops a tiny brown pokémon with a porcine nose.

"Wait… A Swinub?" He looks down at it, puzzled.

Without waiting for the professor, the young man in blue opens his. Inside is an angry-looking green pokémon with spikes on its back.

"Ah. I see you've opened yours already, Rory."

"What? A Larvitar? For reals?" He seems shocked.

Professor Juniper laughs. "For reals. Your turn, Lucy."

The girl in blue opens her ball, finding a cute blue feline pokémon with black and yellow accents.

"Oh, a Shinx! Hey, ya cutie!" Unlike the others, she appears to be happy with her given pokemon.

The professor is visibly pleased with Lucy's reaction. "And now Maya, open yours!"

The older punk girl opens her ball, and a rotund green pokémon surrounded by gelatinous liquid floats out.

"Uh, a Solosis? What's this about?" She scoffs at it, although she still gives it an affectionate poke a few moments later.

"Jake, you can open yours now."

Excited beyond compare, Jake opens his pokéball. Inside is a gray humanoid pokémon, standing upright.

"Wow! A Machop! Hello!" He high-fives it.

"And Cleo, you're up last!" The professor and the rest of the trainers all have their eyes on me.

I open my pokéball, and look down at my feet. Curled up against my leg is a short blue pokémon, with red dots along its back.

"...Cyndaquil!" I crouch down and lift it into my arms, smiling. The little mouse-like creature looks confused, but content to be in my arms.

The professor stands up from her chair, smiling at us all. "As I'm sure you've figured out by now, these are not the pokémon you were expecting, nor that you're familiar with! As the friends, family, and apprentices of Gym Leaders, you know their types inside out - so I've given you the opposite of what you know!" She's visibly proud of this, and for good reason - it's had the exact impact she desired, surprising us all. "For instance, the Normal type gym leader's apprentice was given a Fighting type, and the Flying type gym leader's apprentice was given an Electric type! You've all been forced out of your element - literally - and now it's time to start your journey!" From the pockets of her lab coat, she produces seven orange devices. Each of us takes one, and they activate as soon as we touch them. "Those are your Rotom Phones! They're new technology straight from Galar, and they let you do all kinds of things - including functioning as a pokedex!" She pulls out her own, turning it on. It brings up a display with several options, the same as on ours.

"Now, you all should be ready to begin your journeys!" Juniper puts her phone away and takes a step back. "You can do anything! Get out there and complete your pokemon journey - get all eight gyms and challenge the Elite Four! I know you can do it! Now… Get out of my lab!"

We all stare at her.

"Err... You have everything you need, so you can go ahead and start! Have fun, everyone! Stay safe and take care of your pokemon!"

We let out a collective sigh. A few people - namely Rory, Maya, and Cass - thank the professor and leave, while others stay behind to ask questions or prepare for their journey. I head towards the door and stop next to it, pulling Cyndaquil close to me. I pick him up, tucking him into my jacket. I'm going out into the winter cold, after all - might as well get warm with my new partner. Cyndaquil seems to enjoy it, anyway, snuggling up to my chest closely. I pat his head, and he responds with a pleased chirp.

I go to open the front door and head out into town, but something grabs my arm before I can.

"Wait up!" It's Jake. "Sorry, I was asking the professor a question and got caught up in conversation… I wanted to talk to you before you go!" He lets go of my hand.

"What is it?" I turn around to face him. Cyndaquil peeks out of my jacket to get a better look.

"Well, we talked right before we got our pokemon, and I thought you seemed really nice! So, uh… Do you maybe wanna be friends?"

"...Friends?"

"Yeah! I'll give you my Rotom Phone number, and we can stay in touch! We'll be like rivals, but friendly!" He smiles, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

I get my own out, and turn it on. We exchange numbers, putting a contact in each other's phone.

"Thanks! I think this'll be fun! I'm gonna stay here and ask the professor some more pokemon questions, you two go on ahead!"

I smile back. "Yeah! Talk to you later, you and Machop take care!"

Turning around, I open the door, and step out into the winter cold. As the freezing air hits us, Cyndaquil starts to shiver a little. His body starts to heat up, heating me as well. I scratch his nose, and he reacts happily.

The wind is howling, and the snow is starting to come down hard.

I have a feeling this is gonna be quite the adventure.


	2. Forming a Team

I tread through the freshly fallen snow.

Route 19 is short, but it's still a bit of a trek in this weather. With Cyndaquil snuggled close, I take a few hesitant steps forward into the frost-covered tall grass. Thankfully, nothing jumps out. I continue through it, making it past the first patch. Back on easier footing, the path winds left and then back down south.

As I make my way around some trees, I hear a loud noise from just up ahead. It sounds like… lightning! Rushing forward, I try to make out what's happening through the slightly obscuring snow.

I see someone standing up ahead in the grass, with their pokémon out in front of them - a Shinx. Opposite to the two is a wild Purrloin, who's just been hit with a bit of a shock. It staggers backward, dazed. The cat-like pokémon gets back on its feet… just in time to see a pokéball thrown right at its head! It's pulled into the ball, which falls to the ground lightly. The ball shakes once, twice, thrice, and clicks.

"Aw, sweet!" Lucy exclaims, sauntering forward and picking up the ball. "My first wild pokémon! Lucky me!"

I approach slowly, the grass crunching loudly as I walk. "Hey, I saw what you did there! Nice work!"

She turns around. "Oh, thanks! You're Cleo, right?"

"Yeah. Looks like you and Shinx are a great team, huh?"

Shinx runs up to Lucy, rubbing its face against her leg affectionately. She picks the little feline up and scratches behind its ears lightly. "Mhm! That was only our second battle, and she's already getting good at it!"

"That's great." I smile politely.

"Say, have you been in any battles yet?"

I shake my head. "Oh, uh… No, I just got out here…"

"Why don't we do one now? You and me?" Her eyes light up with excitement.

"Wait, r-really? I don't even know how to, I, uh…"

She cuts me off. "Oh, don't worry! I won't beat you too badly!" She winks like it's a joke, but I know she's serious.

"Well, if you say so…" I look down at Cyndaquil. "Let's do a battle, buddy!" I pull him out of my jacket - an act to which he reacts with great displeasure - and set him on the ground lightly. His body shivers a little, and a small fire starts from the dots along his back.

Lucy sets Shinx down as well, and the two of them back up to a safe distance. Once we're both ready, she waves to me. "Let's start the battle now!" I nod, and she gives a thumbs-up.

"Cyndaquil, uh… use your move!" I call out. Cyndaquil just stands in place. He looks back at me, his nose wrinkling a little in confusion.

"You gotta say the name of the move you want them to do, silly! Watch." She looks down at Shinx. "Go ahead and use Leer!" Shinx takes a step forward and shoots an intimidating glare at Cyndaquil. Cyndaquil's stance falters somewhat.

"Oh, geez. Alright. Uh, use Tackle!" I call out. Cyndaquil rushes forward, hitting Shinx with his body. They collide, dealing a bit of damage to the cat. Cyndaquil then returns to me, keeping close.

"Yeah, that's it! You got it!" Lucy pumps a fist in the air, cheering me on. "Shinx, just use Charge for now!" Shinx stays in place, charging up energy within her fur.

While she's standing there, I take the chance to strike. "Do a Tackle again!" Cyndaquil repeats the movement, bashing right into Shinx once more. Shinx is knocked back a little, but it still seems to be fine.

"Now… Use Spark!" Lucy shouts, smiling proudly. Shinx lets out a cute little roar, and pounces through the air. Landing right on Cyndaquil, she releases all the charged up energy, shocking Cyndaquil badly. He stumbles over, falling onto his back. Not quite out of energy left, Cyndaquil gets slowly back onto his feet. His fire is burning a bit lower than before…

"Oh, no! I don't have any potions, so I can't heal him… Just quick, try and Tackle one last time!" I say to him, my voice faltering a little. Mustering his strength, Cyndaquil slams into Shinx one last time. I'm not quite sure how, but this is apparently just enough to send Shinx flying backward, landing on its side at Lucy's feet. It lets out a soft mew, and then faints.

"Aw, what? I lost?!" Her demeanor changes, shifting very quickly from cheerful and encouraging to melancholy and disappointed. "I even used my best strategy… You just won 'cause you got a critical hit…"

I pick up Cyndaquil and scratch his head gently. He responds happily, but I can tell he's still very tired. Deciding I can brave the cold on my own for now, I put him back in his pokéball to rest. Lucy soon does the same, withdrawing her sleeping Shinx.

I walk over, stepping over some of the frozen grass. "Hey, it's okay. It was just a bit of dumb luck for me - I'm sure you would've had that otherwise!" I put on an empathetic smile, trying to make her feel better.

She sighs and nods. "Yeah, I know. Guess I can't win them all, anyway." Her tense stance loosens. "That was fun, though. You and Cyndaquil are gonna make good partners."

"Oh, thanks!" My smile turns genuine. "You too! I could tell you knew what you were doing!"

"Heh, it was only three moves. In a real battle, there's way more stuff that I'll need to master. But that's far away…" Lucy looks up at the sky, still covered in snowy clouds. "It's gonna get colder out here, and the wind is getting faster. Let's head over to Floccesy town."

"Together?"

"Together!"

  


Together, we start walking. The town is just a short walk east - this route is pretty short, after all. Right beyond the entrance is the familiar red-orange roof of a Pokémon Center, covered in a thin layer of snow. Lucy enters first, and I follow her inside. At the desk, the Nurse Joy gladly takes our pokémon so they can be cared for.

While we wait, Lucy strolls over to the small lounge in the corner of the room and takes a seat. I take a short detour over to the Poké Mart, where I try to buy us both some supplies. I end up getting 10 potions and 10 pokéballs to share between us (5 each), which runs me exactly 5000 pokédollars. That's nearly all the money I have, so I take the items and head over to the lounge as well, taking a seat at the table.

"So your older brother is Driftveil City's gym leader, right?" Lucy asks. She's sitting in the chair next to me, her sky blue jacket hung on its back to dry.

"Yeah. It's cool and all, but I can't help but feel that there might be a different kid who might've been a better pick. I'm not really smart, nor do I have any training - I'm just part of his family."

"Oh, I wouldn't feel too bad about that." She leans back in her chair a bit. "I don't have any experience with pokémon either, but Skyla still chose me. It's probably because I'm her daughter, but still…"

"Yeah… Right."

"Oh, c'mon. I know it seems like we just got chosen because of family ties, but that's not the point. The gym leaders were supposed to pick kids they thought were worthy of taking on the League and working for the professor. Even if we're related to them, they still picked us because they think we can become great trainers."

I sit there for a second silently, mulling the thought over. Since Colt picked me, he really thinks I've got that much potential? I mean, there must be a hundred other candidates who know more about pokémon or who have fought in plenty more battles… And out of all of them, he still thinks I'm the best choice? What does he see in me?

My thoughts are interrupted by Nurse Joy, who lets us know that our pokémon have been fully healed. I take Cyndaquil's pokéball and let him out, and he springs onto me with joy. Lucy does the same, and Shinx curls up happily in her lap.

"So what's your plan for taking on the League?" I ask, patting Cyndaquil on his back.

"...I don't know. Haven't thought about it yet." She shrugs, leaning back again. "Can you look up where all the gyms and stuff are?"

I pull out my Rotom Phone and access the internet using the Pokémon Center's wifi. "Okay, Rotom. Where are all the gyms in the Unova league?"

It takes a moment to process, before it starts to read the results out loud in Rotom's slightly robotic voice. "The Unova League consists of eight pokémon gyms, located in towns and cities across the region!

"In Nacrene City, there is Cheren, the Normal Type gym leader! He gives out the Basic Badge!

"In Virbank City, there is Roxie, the Poison Type gym leader! She gives out the Toxic Badge!

"In Castelia City, there is Aquila, the Ghost Type gym leader! She gives out the Divine Badge!  
"In Nimbasa City, there is Leonidas, the Electric Type gym leader! He gives out the Levin Badge!

"In Driftveil City, there is Colt, the Steel Type gym leader! He gives out the Bastion Badge!

"In Mistralton City, there is Skyla, the Flying Type gym leader! She gives out the Jet Badge!

"In Opelucid City, there is Loki, the Dragon Type gym leader! He gives out the Legend Badge!

"In Icirrus City, there is Cypress, the Ice Type gym leader! She gives out the Freeze Badge!"

Rotom sits there, smiling.

Lucy sets her chair up straight, and picks Shinx off her lap to set him on the table. "What about the Elite Four? And the Champion?"

"Good question! The Unova Pokemon League - not to be confused with the Unova League - is home to the most powerful five trainers in the entire region!  
"The first of the Elite Four is Miss Shauntal, master of Ghost types!

"The second of the Elite Four is Mister Marshal, master of Fighting types!

"The third of the Elite Four is Sir Grimsley, master of Dark types!

"The last of the Elite Four is Miss Caitlin, master of Psychic types!

"And lastly, there is the Champion, the most powerful trainer in Unova! Not much is known about her, due to her absence in recent years."

I reach for the phone. "Thanks, Rotom. That's all." I turn it off, and the screen goes dark.

"Wow, that was a lot, huh?" Lucy scratches behind Shinx's ears.

"Yeah. A bit weird to think about how the League has changed over the years."  
"I guess. Some of those guys must be super old by now, yeah?"

"Well, I know a lot of them started young. Roxie was only a teen when she became a gym leader."

"Yeah, but what about the champions? Weren't they already adults?"

"I think the Elite Four is a bit more lax. There's some pretty old folk in other regions, heh."

She nods, processing that. "You're right. Still a bit weird, though."  
"I mean, won't it be weirder that some of them are in our families?"

"...Right. You're gonna have to beat your brother's gym someday, and I'll have to face my mom..."

"Guess so. Won't be for a while, thankfully."

I pet Cyndaquil slowly. "Yeah, we've got plenty of time."

Lucy stands up. "Speaking of time… We've been here for a while. Wanna continue this talk on the road?"  
"Sure." I set my fiery companion on the table and stand up as well, picking up my bag from the floor.

She grabs her coat from the chair and slings it over her shoulder. Reaching for her belt, she grabs Shinx's pokeball and withdraws her. I do the same, tucking Cyndaquil's ball back onto my holster. Grabbing my phone back from the table as we head out, we exit the Pokemon Center and step out into Floccesy Town's main road. It looks like the snowstorm has died down a bit - there's still a considerable layer of white covering the ground, however.

"So, I suppose we should figure out where we're going, yeah?" Lucy kicks away a bit of snow.

"Well, the closest gym is Virbank City. We could try and take on Roxie!"

She starts walking further into town, and I follow. "Okay, that's one. Then what?"

I try to remember Rotom's list. "After Virbank City, we'll be able to take a boat back to Castelia. That's where Aquila is, so we could try and earn our Divine Badges while we're there."  
"Gotcha." We pass by Floccesy Town's famous clock tower, which is still standing thanks to numerous repairs in recent years. "We can just walk from Castelia to Nacrene and beat Cheren's gym, right?"

"Right, we'll cross the Skyarrow Bridge, earn our Basic Badges, and then come back around."

We exit through the town's north road, passing by a small house with a field for practicing pokémon battles in its front yard. Turning past a few garages, we arrive at Route 20.

Looking out upon the sprawling scenery, there's a few trainers out and about, having battles and searching for wild pokémon. After crossing the bridge and wading up through some tall grass, we make it to a flight of stairs. I go to look at what's off to the west while Lucy starts down them, but both of our missions are interrupted by a loud shout coming from further north.

Together we rush across the second bridge and up the north path, entering Floccesy Ranch through its large wooden gate. The ranch is wide open and mostly flat, so it doesn't take us long to see the problem: Jake is standing in the middle of the field, being attacked by a very angry Mareep.

Leaping into action, Lucy effortlessly jumps over the fence surrounding the field and breaks into a run, grabbing Shinx's pokéball off her belt and throwing it forward as she does so. Shinx lands a few feet away from Jake, who quickly jumps behind it. "Tackle it!" Lucy yells, and Shinx complies, slamming head-first into the Mareep. It's knocked backward but left standing on its feet. The wild pokémon starts shaking its body, rubbing its thick wool against itself. The wool puffs up somewhat, filled with stored electricity.

Meanwhile, I find the normal entrance to the field and dash through it, grabbing Jake and pulling him away from the fray. We make it back to the edge, able to watch Lucy battle it out from a safe distance.

"What happened, man? Why's that Mareep so angry?"

He shudders a bit. "I was trying to train with Machop, and it was going well… But then that little fluffy monster showed up! It paralyzed him, then nearly knocked him out with a Thunder Shock!"

"Geez… Did Machop end up fainting?"

He shakes his head. "No, I was trying to flee after withdrawing him. But then it tried to attack me!"

"Well, here." I plunge a hand into my bag and pull out a potion. "This should help."

"Oh, thank you!" He quickly lets Machop out of its ball and sprays the potion on him. Some of the injuries slowly disappear, although not all of them. Jake sighs and withdraws Machop once more. As he puts the ball back, I notice he has a second one already next to it.

I look back over to Lucy. Shinx and Mareep have been exchanging blows, but neither can do much harm to the other due to their shared type. Mareep doesn't seem to realize this after a few attempts to Thunder Shock Shinx, but the latter has been tackling Mareep repeatedly to much greater effect. Once it's been damaged enough, Lucy tosses a pokéball. Mareep is drawn into it, and it shakes thrice before clicking. "Nice! My third pokémon!"

"Geez, three already? I'm still on one…" I grumble quietly.

"Oh, cheer up! I'm sure you'll net yourself a great new team member real soon!" Jake pats me on the shoulder cheerfully. It's a little demeaning, but I appreciate the gesture.

We regroup near the gate, and I explain to Lucy what happened. She rags on Jake a little for getting in over his head, but she ultimately understands. Deciding to stick together for now, the three of us leave the ranch and head back to route 20. We make it down the stairs completely this time, and enter right into Virbank city.

It's quite the scene.

  


Virbank City was never exactly a small town, but ever since Pokéstar Studios got a surge of popularity a decade or so ago, it's been booming.

The water is low, and much of it is frozen over, so the whole town is freezing. Everyone is fitted head-to-toe in warm winter clothes, and moving quick to beat the cold.

"Hey, Cleo." Lucy pipes up as we're strolling down the street. "You've only been in one battle, right? With me?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. I haven't really ran into many wild pokémon, and you guys have caught the ones I've seen…"

"Well, why don't you head down to the Virbank Complex? There's plenty of action down there, I've heard."

Jake interjects. "And we have to go to the Pokémon Center to get ourselves healed up, anyway. So it's the perfect time!"

I think about it for a second. "Yeah, alright!" We hit a turn, and I continue straight while they take the bend. "See you guys in a bit!" I wave, and Jake waves back politely.

I head further in, passing some small living quarters. Off to the left, I see a crane, and space for ships to dock. The bay is empty, except for one spot close to the Complex. It's a sleek black yacht, which looks out of place among the simple architecture and heavy industrial presence of its surroundings. A large crowd of workers has gathered nearby, so I sneak up and join them.

Two figures disembark from the boat, followed by two others. All four are sharply dressed, wearing fitted black suits. The first of them, who also happens to be the tallest, is a rather intimidating man. His face is well-defined, and his long, pitch-black hair is perfectly neat. I can't see his eyes, as they're obscured by sunglasses. A few other things stand out about him: his tie is bright yellow, he has two scars across his mouth where his canines are - one on each side - and he's carrying a cane tipped with a Thunder Stone that's been cut into a circular shape.

He's followed by a boy who looks to be around my age. The boy is also incredibly well-dressed and proper. His hair is a light blonde, however, and his eyes are a vibrant green. He walks with just as much confidence as the older man, despite being easily a quarter of the other's age.

The other two seem to be security guards, following at a short distance behind.

As the man steps onto solid footing and starts walking along the path toward the city, the crowd of workers immediately bursts into action. They all start trying to ask him a hundred things at once. "Will we be paid more once the deal goes through?" "What will happen to the complex's wild pokémon?" "Are there going to be any structural changes?" They continue this until he gets to the street. As soon as he's there, he whirls around on his heel and slams the tip of his cane into the ground.

"ENOUGH." The crowd falls silent. "I am not at liberty to disclose such details at this time. You must simply wait, and one of our representatives will bring you news of any new developments in the deal. Now, please. Leave me alone. My son has an important meeting to attend." He starts walking. The boy stands in place, a bit surprised.

"Come, Adam. We're late enough already."

Quickly catching up to his father, the two continue into the city. After pushing past the crowd, their security follows.

The workers quickly disperse, disappointed and angry. They return to their duties, and I'm left alone again.

I'm not sure what just happened. Who was that? He said Adam… wasn't that the boy who couldn't make it to Professor Juniper's lab? Was that a gym leader?

My head bubbling with questions, I continue into the Virbank Complex, where there's lush tall grass growing in between the large tanks and processors.

After wandering aimlessly for a bit, I hear a clattering noise from above. A Magnemite flies out at me, launching itself off the side of an oil storage unit. I quickly jump out of the way and toss Cyndaquil out. The Magnemite crashes into a metal pole behind where I was standing, and takes a few seconds to readjust itself. "It's a steel type, so… Cyndaquil! Use a fire type move!" Cyndaquil looks up at me. "Oh, what's it called… Ember!" Recognizing this, Cyndaquil leaps into the air. A small fire erupts from the dots on its back, heating up Magnemite's body. It aims for us with a Thunder Wave, but Cyndaquil is able to move out of the way at the last second. "Hit him again! You got this!" Cyndaquil darts forward and shoots fire upward at Magnemite from the ground, scorching it further. The magnetic pokémon spirals out of control, floating away and attaching itself to a far-away metal surface with an audible 'clank'.

"Yeah! We won!" I cheer, smiling proudly. Cyndaquil leaps around, filled with joy. "Good job, buddy!" He looks up at me, making high-pitched squeaks. After giving him some scratches, we continue.

With Cyndaquil now following me outside his ball, we head on through the complex. I wade through some more tall grass and end up near the outside wall, where there's a small gap. I decide to peek through to the other side… There's the outline of an item! Squeezing through, I hastily check it out. It's just a Silk Scarf - nothing to write home about, but still my first item in the wild!

Before I turn around, I hear an intimidating growl from just behind me. Slowly rotating my head so as to not make any sudden movements, I look to see what it is. A Growlithe is standing there, primed and ready to run at me.

I quickly whirl around fully. "Cyndaquil, quick! Attack it with Ember!" I order, without really thinking. Cyndaquil hesitantly shoots a small bout of a flame at it, but the fire has no effect. The heat is absorbed into the Growlithe's fur, and it makes immediate use of this, surrounding itself with a spinning wheel of fire before charging at Cyndaquil. He's hit head-on by the Flame Wheel, but thankfully it doesn't seem to be very effective. Sent tumbling back, Cyndaquil hops back to his feet. "Just hit him with a Tackle!" As Growlithe is coming to a stop, Cyndaquil slams into it at full force, bringing them both to a standstill and damaging the dog. While they're in close quarters, Growlithe moves in to Bite, chomping into Cyndaquil forcefully. "Quick, get away!" Cyndaquil quickly creates a small line of flame along the ground, which burns up the grass - creating a Smokescreen. The Growlithe is dazed by this, and tries to use Flame Wheel once more, but misses completely. "Tackle him one last time!" I shout, reaching for my bag. Cyndaquil collides with Growlithe from behind, stunning the canine momentarily. A moment is all I need, however - I throw a pokéball at it, and it's drawn inside. The ball falls to the ground, shaking thrice before clicking shut.

I let him out of the ball to see if his demeanor has changed. He growls at me again, but doesn't yet attack. I kneel down next to him, looking closer. Beneath his thick, warm fur I can feel that his body is quite thin. As I do this he protests, biting my arm gently. I shake him off and stand up. "Poor boy… You're just hungry, huh? Let's go get you some food!" I withdraw both him and Cyndaquil, who's patiently sitting nearby.

I hastily leave the complex before any other wild pokémon can get the drop on me, heading back into town.

  


I find us a nice (and cheap) restaurant that allows pokémon, and we get a booth with a window.

I let Cyndaquil and Growlithe out, promising to let them stay out for the whole meal as long as they both behave. A waiter comes around and hands me a menu, as well as pouring me a glass of water. I thank him and take a look. He comes around a few minutes later, and I order a nice burger meal from the human menu. Flipping it over, I order a small berry salad for Cyndaquil, and a bowl of meat-flavored kibble for Growlithe. After a short wait, he brings it right out, and we dig in!

Cyndaquil calmly eats his berries, picking up small chunks and chewing them carefully. Meanwhile, Growlithe chomps away with reckless abandon, literally wolfing down his food as fast as possible. I eat my burger slowly, making sure that they get their fill before I do. Once I'm done I eat some of the fries, and toss a couple to Growlithe. He eats them in one bite, without chewing. All our plates empty, I use the rest of the money I have left to pay for our meal.

Before we get up, I pull the Silk Scarf from my pocket. It's a blank white, and pretty clean. I tie it like a little bandana around Cyndaquil's neck, which pleases him immensely. I see Growlithe about to take a bite out of the table and quickly withdraw them both, getting up and leaving before anyone notices the tooth marks he'd already left on the edge of his bowl.

Out on the street again, I look up at the sky. It's getting late in the day, and judging by the clouds forming it'll probably snow again overnight.

As I'm standing there, I feel a buzz in my pocket, as my phone starts to ring. I grab it and answer the call, which the caller ID shows as being from Jake.

"Hey, Cleo! Where are you?"

I look up at the diner's sign. "Right outside the Speedy Magcargo. Where are you?"

"Me and Lucy went down to the docks to check out the ship schedules, so we're there now!"

"Oh, okay. How were the ships?"

"Really cool! I saw one with a hull that— Oh, like the schedules? There's one going to Castelia in two days. Should give us enough time to take on the gym!"

"Alright. Wanna meet up at the hotel outside Pokéstar Studios?"

"Sure! We're on our way!"

"Catch you there." Click.

I make the short walk there, stopping outside. The others arrive shortly, Jake bouncing cheerfully along with Lucy in tow. I wave to them, and they walk right up.

"How'd training go?" Jake asks, adjusting his glasses.

"Good. Fought some nice battles." I glance at the new pokéball on my belt.

"Great! Are we gonna stay here tonight?"

"Yeah, I was thinking so." I turn toward the door. "Although, uh, I may not exactly have enough…"

Lucy sighs. "I'll pay for it." Looking at her properly, I see that her hair looks frizzy, and part of her outfit is blackened. While she goes over to book us a room, Jake leans in close and whispers to me.

"Her Shinx got spooked by a flock of Pidove and fell into the water. It shocked her on accident while she was trying to get it out."

I try not to laugh, putting on a serious face when she looks back over at us.

"Come on. I got us a room on the second floor." She waves the key cards around before turning away and starting to walk. We follow her up the stairs to the next floor, where she unlocks our room. It's pretty nice inside, even having a desk for work and a couch area. There's only two beds, though…

Lucy sets her bag down on the bed next to the window, as well as her pokéballs. "You two figure out who gets the other one. I have important business to attend to." Stomping past us, she enters the bathroom and slams the door. The shower starts a few seconds later.

"So, uh…" Jake scratches his head.

"I'll do it." I shrug. "Can I have a pillow, though?"

"Uh… Sure!" Jake pulls one from his newly obtained bed and hands it to me. I set it on the couch, and sit down on it. He flops down on his bed, lying down.

"So, what did you catch in Floccesy Ranch? You have an extra pokéball."

"Hm? Oh, yeah!" He reaches for his holster and pulls out the second ball. Opening it lightly, a short bipedal dog-like pokémon pops out. "This is Riolu!"

I look down at him. Riolu stares straight at me. I can't tell what he's thinking… He's completely silent.

"Haha, he's a quiet fellow, but quite the battler!"

"Yeah, I can tell. I've heard Riolu are pretty strong…"

He nods, but then looks over at me. "Hey, you've got an extra pokéball too! Did you catch something down at Virbank Complex?"

"Oh, yeah!" I toss out Growlithe, who lands on the carpet with a wild look in his eyes. Before he makes a move, I firmly command, "No biting." He refrains from biting… for now.

"Aw, cute! You've got a bit of potential on your hands, too - Growlithes can make for an excellent companion!"

I smile, watching the puppy chase his tail. "Yeah, I think he will."

Riolu steps over to Arcanine, and the two get caught up in a bit of cute play-fighting.

The bathroom door opens after a while. Lucy steps out, her hair looking significantly less electrically charged. She's changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt featuring a Braviary. Walking straight over to her bed, she sits right down on it and lays flat. "What are you two on about?"

"Just showing each other the new pokémon we caught!" Jake replies.

"Cool. Well, I've had a long day. I don't care what you do, just don't wake me up." With that, she falls asleep almost instantly - it's impressive, really.

"I suppose I'll go to bed soon as well. Do you mind if I catch the evening news, Cleo?"

"Nah. You're good." I lay out on the couch. Letting Cyndaquil out of his ball, he curls up on top of me, warming me up nicely. Eventually Growlithe and Riolu calm down and separate, marching over to lay with their respective owners.

Grabbing the remote from the table between the beds, Jake turns the TV on and changes it to the nightly news channel.

"Good evening, Unova! We've got a wonderful day of news for you all, so stick around!" They drone on about the day's events for a little while, before they switch to a 'Breaking News' segment.

"This just in! All you trainers out there, stay safe! We've just received news that there's been a string of thefts in and around the central Unova area, exclusively targeting pokémon trainers! We don't have many details at this time, but please keep yourselves and your loved ones safe - especially your pokémon! We'll be back after a short message from our sponsor: Dynamo Energy - power generation for the future!"

The channel switches to a commercial break. I roll over, trying to go to sleep. The TV is a little bit loud, but the thoughts bouncing around my head are even louder.

I don't understand how I can be both so excited for tomorrow but also be dreading it so much. My first ever gym… This is my chance to prove myself.

My anxiety and hope echo in my mind, slowly growing fainter as I drift off to sleep, my partner pokémon snuggled closely against me. I hear the TV switch off, and the room goes dark.

Tomorrow's the day. I'll show everyone that I really am a good trainer; that I really can succeed.

Then maybe I can start to believe that myself.


	3. Star of the Show

Soon enough, morning arrives.

Sitting up, I see that sometime in the night Cyndaquil got down from the couch, as he's lying curled up on top of Growlithe, who's also sleeping soundly.

Lucy is still sleeping, and Jake is… gone. Walking around the room a bit, I see a small pad of paper left out on the small desk. There's a note on it, written in pen. The handwriting is immaculate, neatly written across a single line.

"Hey! I went down to get breakfast. Be back soon! -Jake"

Putting my shoes on, I wake up the two sleeping monsters and we head downstairs. There's a nice breakfast buffet, with lots of people up already. I see Jake sitting at a table with his pokémon, who are all eating together. He's struggling to cut a waffle in half, and both Machop and Riolu are watching in awe.

I go through the buffet, getting some food for myself and my team. Sitting down next to him, Cyndaquil scrambles into a nearby chair and Growlithe sits at my feet.

"Oh… hey! Good… Morning!" Jake presses down hard on the waffle with a flimsy plastic knife. "Sleep… well?"

"Yeah." I rub my eyes, and hand a Figy Berry to Cyndaquil. He takes a bite, and then makes a displeased face. "You?"

"Oh, me too." He goes in for a forceful cut, but the knife just snaps. "We're…" He sighs. "We're gonna need it for today!"

I nod before taking a bite of a plain bagel. "You know anything about what we're gonna be facing?"

"Of course!" Having given up, Jake pushes his plate over to his pokemon. Once within reach, Machop grabs it and promptly tears it perfectly in twain, handing it back to his trainer proudly. We sit in stunned silence for a second.

"So, uh… What's it gonna be like?"

"...Right. We're gonna be up against Roxie, the poison-type gym leader. She was once a rock star, but at the advice of her father she pursued a full career in acting. Now she's one of Pokéstar Studios' greatest celebrities! That also happens to be where the gym is located."

I rip off a part of my bagel and toss it to the ground. Growlithe picks it up and chews it for a second before swallowing it whole. "Cool. So we're gonna fight her in a movie theater?" I say, partly joking.

"Correct." Jake starts to eat the torn waffle.

"Oh." I lean forward a bit, thinking. "None of us have any grass types, nor fairies… I think we'll do alright?"

He nods. "As long as we stay cautious and try our best, I'm sure we'll make it out okay."

I turn to my plate to finish eating and see that it is gone. Looking downward, I see Growlithe there, eating everything off of the plate I must have accidentally knocked down.

"Okay, I think you're done for now." I withdraw him. Looking back over at the rest of our pokémon, I see Machop holding a Mago Berry that Jake gave him. He splits it in half and takes one, handing the other to Cyndaquil. They both seem to enjoy it plenty.

A short while later, Lucy arrives. She quickly pulls together some food for herself and grabs some random things for her pokémon, in a hurry to sit with us. She sits next to me, and starts eating. "Hoo! Made it before they close!" She takes a drink of hastily poured water. "Why didn't you guys wake me up?"

Jake looks at me, and back at her. "Uhm… That was literally the one thing you told us not to do."

Lucy pauses. "Oh… Right." She then resumes eating.

After we're all done, we exit as a group. Stopping by the room, everyone grabs their bags and supplies. I make sure Cyndaquil and Growlithe are ready to go - they seem excited. Putting them back in their pokeballs and stowing on my belt, I step to the door, ready to leave. The other two soon follow.

We walk out into the street. It snowed overnight, like I thought, leaving a layer at least a few inches thick. We walk down the already-cleared roads and make it to the Pokéstar Studios' entrance within half an hour.

  


Inside, it's a whole different world. Though it's early in the morning, the neon lights are flashing brightly and there's already many people here. Most are here for the actual cinema experience, but there's a few others looking to challenge the gym. We get in that line, which is still pretty short.

The door at the line's end swings open, and the trainers - including us - pour through. On the other side is a theater lobby like any other. Near the ticket booth, only one show is being displayed. "VS ROXIE - PG - 9:00"

I check my phone. It's 8:55 now.

An employee steps out, dressed in an old-fashioned usher's uniform. He turns to the crowd, a pleasant look on his face. "Greetings, all! Welcome to the Virbank City gym! Today, we're open for a wonderful showing of Versus Roxie, our newest production! It will be showing in one of our theaters in five minutes, so don't miss it! The first one to find the room it's being showed in gets to be the star of the show!"

He unhooks a velvet rope that was blocking access further into the theater. Standing close to the wall, he bows and gestures deeper in.

We all charge forward, right past him. Barreling down the halls, trainers start checking in every room they can. Some try the same room at once, blocking each other or even starting pokémon battles over who gets to open a door.

I run past an entrance and see another usher nearby. They lock eyes with me, and start walking forward.

"Hey, kid! Would you like a hint?"

"S-sure?" I stammer, surprised.

"Then you'll have to earn it!" From under their hat, the employee retrieves a pokéball and throws it. Out comes a spherical purple pokémon.

Only a little ways behind, Jake and Lucy see me stop to start a battle. "Just go on ahead! I'll be fine!" They do so, passing me and heading up a nearby escalator. I throw Cyndaquil's ball, and he lands between me and the Koffing. "Hit it with an Ember!" I call out, having to talk loudly over the commotion in the rest of the theater.

"Cover it in Smog!" The usher shouts. Koffing starts releasing a noxious purple gas, which covers the floor nearby. Cyndaquil is hurt by the gas, but his flames burn it away before it can leech into his body and poison him. He retaliates by burning up the gas with Ember, just as planned. The gas ignites all the way back to its source, causing Koffing to go up in flames! It's not quite downed, but that was quite the hit, and some of the flames are left behind as a residual Burn.

"Just a Smokescreen will do!" Koffing lets out a thicker gray smoke, which surrounds it and blocks it from view.

"Go for Tackle!" Cyndaquil rushes forward, jumping at Koffing through the fog. He misses completely, landing on the floor beyond. Before Koffing has a chance to move, though, the harsh burn left behind by the Ember flares up on contact with the smoke. Overwhelmed by pain, Koffing lets out a wheeze of smoke before falling to the ground.

"Alright!" The usher says to me. "Stay down here if you want a show, but the stars are way up high!"

I nod and start running, Cyndaquil in tow. Taking the same escalator that the other two used, I make it to the second floor. Running into the fray, I pass Jake and Lucy, now caught in their own battles. I duck underneath a stray cloud of Poison Gas fired off by a Grimer, and continue on my way. Making it to the other end of the floor, I make it to a second escalator. I take it up once more and reach the third and final floor. At the end of the hallway there's a door being guarded by two ushers - that's the one.

"Okay, buddy!" I look at Cyndaquil as we run. "We're gonna try something new, okay?" The door is just a short distance away. As we approach, the ushers both look in the direction of my footsteps. I lean down and pick up Cyndaquil, throwing him into the air. "Smokescreen!" I shout, and Cyndaquil lets out a blast of flame that burns up part of the carpet, creating a sudden cloud of smoke. It appears just in time, preventing the ushers from actually seeing where I am! Holding my breath, I run straight through it before they can catch me. Once on the other side I catch Cyndaquil in my arms and burst through the doors, slamming them behind me.

On the other side is an empty theater. It's dark in here, and no movie is playing. The doors are in the center, with seats on either side. As I enter, I see the projector suddenly flicker on, displaying an image of the Pokéstar Studios logo on the screen. Silhouetted against the white of the screen is a tall figure. As the logo fades away, the screen turns fully white, showering the theater in bright light. Standing straight down the aisle from me is Roxie herself.

Draped in a massive coat that Elesa would be proud of, and with her white hair twisted up in some new, elegant style, Roxie strikes a pose.

"Greetings, challenger! Good on you for making it this far… You're just in time for our show!" Cameramen appear from the darkness of the theatre, pointing their large film-grade cameras straight at me. "Are you ready to battle?"

I nod, holding Cyndaquil tight. I set him down and he scurries forward, standing at a proper distance.

"Then let's begin!" Roxie pulls her hand out of her coat pocket, two pokeballs held in it. "Lights, camera… Action!" She throws the first with perfect form, something achievable only after decades of battling as a gym leader like she has. It snaps open in midair, releasing a bipedal amphibian with reddened cheeks. "Croagunk! Time for your debut!"

"Quickly, uh, use another Smokescreen!" I nervously order Cyndaquil to move, a little intimidated by the cameras on me. Cyndaquil does so without hesitation, igniting more of the theatre carpet to create obscuring smoke.

"Oh, a bold open! Croagunk, show them something that will truly Astonish!" The frog lunges forward through the cloud, undeterred. It slaps Cyndaquil forcefully, sending him flying into a row of seats.

"Augh, no! Hit him back with… Ember! Yeah, Ember!" Cyndaquil scrambles to his feet, darting along the row to return to where it was. It jumps out from behind the aisle seat and flips its back toward Croagunk, bombarding it with flame. Croagunk is burnt by the fire particularly badly - the heat seems to have dried out his skin!

"That mouse needs to learn a lesson! Mud Slap, now!" Croagunk swells its cheeks and, swinging its arm through the ground, flings a chunk of burnt carpet and stone tiling at Cyndaquil. It hits him dead-on, leaving him badly injured and staggering - although still conscious!

"Quick, c-come back!" I withdraw him immediately, pulling him into his ball. I then throw out Growlithe, who lands on his feet already primed to strike.

"Hah! Croagunk, it's time for your old classic - Poison Sting!" It fills its cheeks up fully before spitting a mote of poisonous liquid at Growlithe. It sloshes into the puppy's fur, both damaging him and leaving a lasting poison.

"Flame Wheel! Now!" I shout decisively, acting on instinct. Growlithe pounces forward, surrounded by a spinning circle of fire. The burning wheel rolls straight into Croagunk, burning him up and drying his skin out harshly! Croagunk stumbles around a bit before falling over, fainted.

"Looks like our protagonist has won the day! But now we meet the real villain…" She brings back Croagunk anf throws her second pokéball, and out comes a pale purple insect that's curled into a circular shape. "Whirlipede, show them your style! Rollout!" Whirlipede jitters a bit, almost as if revving itself up, before taking off toward Growlithe. It runs straight into him, colliding at top speed while also kicking up ground. Growlithe is badly hurt by this, but keeps standing, pushing back against Whirlipede.

"See how it likes being run over! Flame Wheel, again!" I shout, my voice now full of confidence. By now, I've almost forgotten about the cameras entirely, fully absorbed in the battle. Growlithe lets out a mighty bark and spins in a wheel of flame, pushing back against Whirlipede's rotation and scorching it upon contact. Whirlipede is knocked away, but only to continue its advance. Stuck in a Rollout, it rolls right back toward Growlithe. The Flame Wheel disperses as Whirlipede drives into him from the side - the side that just so happened to be poisoned earlier.

Before Growlithe can even hit the ground, I withdraw him into my pokéball and send out Cyndaquil without a second thought.

"Cyndaquil, one last time! Ember!" Whirlipede redirects itself, rolling down the aisle at Cyndaquil. Before the Rollout can make contact, though, Cyndaquil hunches down, arching its back toward Whirlipede, and lets out an enormous blast of flame. The bug is completely consumed by fire, parts of its hard carapace charred black by the time it lands. Whirlipede rolls to a stop and topples over.

The room falls quiet as I process what just happened. Without a word, Roxie withdraws Whirlipede. She tucks the pokeballs away, and looks into the cameras. Breaking the silence, she bursts into an excited shout. "And that's our show, everybody! Our protagonist wins with a terrific inferno raging on, and the villain is defeated! Only one thing is left!" She walks up the aisle towards me, stopping right in front. Without warning, she grabs my hand. I feel something hard and metal in it. When she lifts hers away, I see it - a Toxic Badge! I look at her, smiling, and then down at Cyndaquil, who's just recovered from the move he pulled. The spots on his body are glowing somewhat, and fading in and out. Then, suddenly, his whole body begins to glow.

"Oh, my! Looks like we've got an epilogue!"

Cyndaquil's body grows longer and a bit larger, his legs shifting and adjusting. His spots elongate as well, making for a bigger flame - as well as a new set of dots on its head. Quilava looks up at me, his little face flush with joy. This soon spreads to me, as well, as I scoop him up in my arms and hug him closely.

"Would you look at that! Someone's earned themselves the greatest reward of all - friendship! Also, a gym badge and money. Now's time for our intermission, and we'll be right back for act 2 - with some new challengers on the horizon!" Right as she says this, the doors to the theater burst open. Standing on the other side is Lucy, out of breath and her jacket stained with poisonous liquid. Behind her is Jake, who's neither of those things but is still more nervous.

"We'll be right back!"

  


The program ended after a few more trainer battles, and we were let out of the theater. All three of us now the proud owners of brand new Toxic Badges, we returned to the streets of Virbank City. It's the middle of the day, so there's a lot more people out and most of the snow is melted.

We make a beeline for our hotel, checking in and getting to our rooms as fast as possible. All of us collapse simultaneously, planting ourselves right where we slept last night.

"Geez, that took a lot out of me!" Jake says, taking his glasses off and trying to clean the dirt off.

"Yeah." I stretch my legs some, still aching. "I wasn't expecting so much… movement."

"And those gym trainers… They need to be more careful!" Lucy looks at her jacket, which has dark purple stains on it. "I don't think this stuff is harmful, but… It could've been!"

"Suppose that's what we get for trying the Poison type gym, eh? I'm guessing the Normal type gym won't be as hectic." I laugh weakly.

"Yes, that was… Unorthodox." Jake lays down flat, setting his glasses aside. "If you don't mind, I think I'm going to sleep for the next hundred years."

"Agreed." Lucy tosses her jacket aside and gets in bed.

"Oof, sounds good… I could use some fuel, though. I'm gonna go down and get some snacks." I stand up slowly and leave the room, walking down the hall.

As I round the corner to the vending machine, I notice that someone is there already. It's a neatly dressed young man with silver hair and piercing green eyes - I recognize him as Niko, one of our fellow sponsored trainers.

"Hello, Cleo." He says, standing in front of an ice dispensing machine.

I wave back politely and step to the vending machine, pressing the buttons to get myself a fresh bottle of water and a small bag of candy.

"I saw your victory against Roxie today, on television. It was impressive."

"Oh, thanks!" I smile. "Have you fought her yet?"

"I intend to do so later tonight. Your match against her will prove very informative, I believe."

"Uh… Good!"

He fills his room's ice bucket with ice, closing the lid. "How has your Cyndaquil been?"

"He's doing well! Evolved right after the battle!"

"I saw."

"...Right. How's your Swinub?"

"He is well. I believe he has been trained decently enough to sufficiently combat Roxie's pokémon."

"Well, that's cool!"

"Correct, he is an Ice type. I also have added a Magnemite to my team, as I thought its immunity to Poison-type attacks would be advantageous in the gym."

"I, uh… Guess it would."

"Indeed. This was a good talk, thank you." He pats me on the shoulder and walks away, leaving me to stand there bewildered.

I return to the room and, after eating my bag of tiny Voltorb-shaped sour candies, pass out like the rest of my friends. We all manage to sleep through the night despite going to bed in the early afternoon, all waking up just before dawn incredibly well-rested.

As with yesterday, Jake is the first to rise. Lucy and I both manage to wake up relatively soon after, though, following him down and joining him for breakfast.

With Lucy getting enough time to properly pick a meal, Jake choosing a breakfast that's easier to cut, and our pokémon getting the berry choices they want (picked out by yours truly), everyone is much happier this morning. Despite our incredible fatigue, we're all still filled with joy at having earned our first ever gym badges.

As we're eating, I spot Niko entering the buffet. I wave to him, and he gestures to a lanyard dangling from his pocket, upon which he has attached his very own Toxic Badge. I give him a cheerful thumbs up and he smiles back.

We finish a little while later and head back to the room together. Spending around an hour checking and double-checking, we make sure none of us have left anything behind. Sure of our possessions, we check out of the hotel and make our way down to the shipyard. The boat to Castelia City leaves in a few hours, so we wait inside the ferry service's building. Jake watches a documentary about the secrets of the pokemon Yamask on his Rotom Phone, Lucy brushes Shinx's fur - careful as to not get shocked - and I read up on my basic battle strategy by looking at a few popular websites for new trainers.

The ferry arrives, and having already bought our tickets, we all get on. Finding ourselves seats, we wait with anticipation as the boat takes off from the shore. Once we're allowed to stand up I do so, making my way to the top deck. I look out upon the open bay, the clear water splashing high against the boat, watching the pokémon play and swim around together underwater.

We approach the city, and I look up at the horizon. Seeing the tall skyscrapers and cold concrete streets of Castelia City once more evokes an unusual feeling in me. Like warm familiarity in my heart for a place I know is being turned away by my mind in favor of a cold rejection of the new reality. Part of me misses home, and part of me thinks this is home, and I'm not sure which is which.

We dock, and everyone disembarks. I'm hit by all the same sights and smells as always, and I sigh.

We've arrived in Castelia City…

My home away from home.


End file.
